Electric signaling.



No. 849,170. PTENTED APR. 2, 1907. J. B.4 STRUBLE.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

APPLICMTION FILED DB0. 3, 19o2.

' z SHEETS-SHEET 1.,

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mVErrroR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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L UNITEDl STATES rAfrnNfr OFFICE.)

JACOB n STRUBLE, C F WILKINSBU C,'15ENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR Toy T HL UNION SWITCH a SIGNAL COMPANY, or 'SWISSVALn PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION Or-PENNSYLVANIA.

' ELEC-mic s lGNAriNe.

No. 849,170. Speoicaton of Letters Patent'. Patented A pril 2, 1 907. Appiimion inea Deemtr 3,1902; Seria.; No. 133,7;1. llo all whom, it may concern/ In the practice of my invention"`one ofthe Se'it known that I, JACOB B.' STRUBLE, line of rails', as 1, is made electrically com residing at Wilkinsburg, in thecounty of tinuous,'whjle the other line of rails is"di 5.54 Alleghenyand State OfPennsylvania, a citivided intosectio'ns of suitable length, such' 5 zen Ot' the United States, have invented or -sections 4being generally'termed trackor discovered certain new and useful Im r0've lblock Sections. vInsulation is provided j nients in Electric Signaling, of whic iin- Ibetween adjacent ends of rails et thefends of proyeinents the following is a Specification. each Section, as is the usual'practice. Zand 16o" The invention described herein relates .tO 3 designate two Such Sections. Atthe'en- 1o cert/ein improvements in electric Signaling, trance end of each of these-track onb'lck' and has for its object tfheutilizationotl altersections I arrange a home and a distant SigL 4natiiig,r Currents or interrupted, uctuating, nal on the 'same Support, the home'` signal or pulsating direct Currents for controlling indicating the condition of: the sectin at .65

by. a home' signal its distant signal without the entrance of which it is placed land the 1 5'- the use of line or equivalent wires when such 'distant Signal indicating the position of .the

' currents are used in a track-circuit between home signal orthenextsucceeding section',

them. A sadista'iit signal and a home signal .except whenfboth' signals are simultaneously" `vfhen let the same signaling-point and conf put-to danger by a train entering -a block-:7c

trolled` fro ,the same trackfcircui-t must at section. j j .z'o times Vgive different indications, provision An alternatingecurrent generator has' one :must be made'for a selection to'bie `autoinat-l Of its terminels. connected to' the 'continuous -j ically effected by a. succeeding home signal.' rail 1,whileits` other terminal is connected to 4"When usinga 1*,er1ieting;-O'rI 'equivalent 'cur`. a feed-wire?,V extending' along-:the track. -75- rents,=the necessary s'electionmay be eI-ect- The primary' Spf atransformer-#hesiteter- 2.5 d' b`y'inaking 'a change. in thecurrent inthe miiials connected'to thecontinuous"railjl and track-circuit---iforexample,changinga charthe feed-wire?. The secondary eoil-Qothis'y apteristicbr v therelation@the factorsoi the [transformer has one .terminal connected. to i alternating current in 'the circuit. Hence," thefcontinnousr il'lfanditsnother tern'iinals' 8o as regards the .broad claims herein, the terms Vto centactjfp'lates 10,: and 11, fone of which is "3o -'thereof .are'gn'ot limited to either-'the' specific intermediateof 'the end siof. thel transformer.' chanfrefor` inannero'changing nor teeny r-These platesjorm'parts*of-"a 'switchoiotherspeciq'foym .constructionof apparatusy circuitmontrolling -deifice, the .othergfpart .Qm'ploygdztherfor.' -thereof ,being"formed by almovable'member '8 5 he 4Invention -`is hereinafter more" fully- '12, adapted.to be shifted bythe home-Signal" 3 5 'des'cribedand claimed.' ftlfof-th'section from one-contaetplatetw In4 the accompanying drawings, Figure. 1' 'is ithefofher, .Thfle`ver ormOvab1e--member12i `a diagrammatic View 'of a portion of-arail- .-isic' i onnected:p 1eferably, through aresistance way, showing anfarrngement of signals-forV to th bl kf or section rail 2. The. ern- 9o controlling the several track or block sections.:l plo nient offthe'resistance is desirable, 'as it 4o Fig'. `2 .is -adiagrammatic ifiew of two' tracl prevent an'excessive 110W ofcurrent from. O r bloc-kgssections. and home and distantsig-v the Seconda f the transformer Ato the nais thereforarrangedin. pairs en pos-ts and -trackwhen ort-circuited by atrai'i n see-f4 the 'niechanismfand circuits for. o rating 4tionj2. .-'Atthe entrac'e'end of blocksection 9 5 .and ccntrollingjsaidisignalslandbm odying'- 2 the continuousrai'l 1 andfsectional railOf- 45niyxinyention ]fg- B isfa View',` sirnilarto -the'blocksection are c onnectedto atransla't 2f; showinglone'of thesections'occiipied ingdevice. :for controlling or operating the and;v the ;s i(g1nals"r dicatin'g suchcondition.- home and distant SignalsA and 5 ,said trans Fig. 4 -is' a. ia 'animatie'viewjillustrating a lating'devie being so constructed and prow'o 'modiiication o'v 'my improvement., 54 portined that when the v'alternating' current' 5o and Gare detailed views. i of' the track-circuitjis changed or vmodified it Similar reference haracter's'designate corwill 'respond lor operate to control only one ofy espendingpartsinclliof'tliegules; the'two' signals '.4 5-.but'whenthealter1atmg`j tiplegorseries with the circuit of the second-i,v

a'ry of' the transformer 9. Wheny the relays Yare liable to bev effected by foreign iniiuen ces, A I D .preferred to interpose a suitable transformer. or equivalentdevice 16, the rela s beingar-y ranged in the circuit of these'con ary of such transformer.'y The secondary of the 'transformer .9 of track.-rails 41 and 2 and the trans-4 lating deviceor. devices constitute a' track circuitgwhichis shown as a closed -track-cir-.-

cuit. Each track or block section is'p'rovided' with asimilar t: r ac l I-circuit.V

The operating mechanisms' 17 and 1S types which comprise.an- 'electricallyoper- .ated''device fol-'controlling the motive. 'owerfor the mechanisms, and'suchelectrical -op.'. z5 e1- ated devices are arranged in 'circuits conz trolled vby the armatures ofthe relays 14 and -15, said circuits, bypreference7 including 'the secondary of; a transformer 19'. The

mary .of this transformer has its terminalsconnected tol the-continuousrail 1- and the feed-Wire. 7 When 'the home signal of'any block-section is in its clear position of indication, 4the memberlZ is so shifted that the full voltage o f-'the secondaryof transformer'A. is 35 supplied. to Vthe traok-c-ircuitof. the preceding, block-section, .thereby eircting both relays v -14-fand'- lfandclosing the -motorircuits of.

" signals 4 and 5;. whereupon-both signals arecleared. .As soon as a `tra-in passes inte* .a .block-section both the home anddistant'sig -nalsat the 'entrance thereof Will gotdf dan-- geig (for yeaga'mple, 'the' home signal 4? of 4; section 3;) the-member -12 will be moved. into contact .with 'plate 10,- cuttingj ,out a portion 1E-ofi the secondaryof the transformer A and reducing the voltage" inA the track-.circuit ofblock-section 2 tov suchan extentlthat relay 5o.' 15 othattrack-circuit lwill notlbfe energized;

to.- closejthe .circuit of the dis-tant signal 5, so f vthat'theflatter will be.y held in itscauti-on position of. indica-tion, which f is -an advance i,ndi'-A cation of--thep'ositicn of-ihom signal.4.9

relay, 1:4 ofl any-track-.circuit ils-so constru' in -theiforma-of inventioxil of Figs. Zand-` 3 'as to.

f :be' operative-nt .only Whenthe full voltage offtransfbrmer A .i's-i onlthe; trackfcircuit', but

`shifting'fof-.thc movableu'nember 12' tothe.

` vWhichr is located on-ftligjsarne,

as direct currents in the track-circuit", itV is l thesi'gnals may'. be any of .the Well-lmovifny post Wit-h a distant "signal, as the movable member 1 2 o f the switchpasses frein con-v t tact-plate" 1'0 'toplatel-l ,fand.i vfice"v e'risa7 pro- 'vision is made, as by employment of tvvofin-l 'gers-2001i the movablememberl, (see Fig. 5,) 7o and conn'eeted; throughE a `refs ista n c ey 2.1,- so thatthe-movable member Wil colitactwith plate' 10 bforeitf' leaves plate`i'ilf,'and'vice` versa.' A single vlinger sufficiently Wide to contact simultaneously with both plates can- 7 5 seconda .'Would in such case be short-freirvcuited.`ll)i1 order to prevent a momentary interruption of the current-su ply'- to the trackcircuit at the latter part, oy the shifting movement, thecontact platesnre ,so "constructed` with reference to the ySpace. between the 4fingers 20'v that both fingers Wiliontact with the plates until 'the member, 1-2 is fullyshifted.' '1fdesired, an' overload fvfoltage-v vregulator 2 2 may becmployelgto yopen' tlji'e circuit of .the generator 6 shonldjthe voltage become'excessively high.;

Ingthe construction shown 3 1 the electricallyoperated devicepf the 'mechan-- isms "17 an d '180i the signals@ and 5 a1e con-" nected to the track-circuit so'v astobe oper ated dirctlyby'changes' in the track-circuit. Ifdesired, 'a transformer.. 1 6 may. be' ern- 'ployedy to yprevent the electrically-o'p eralt'ed' device-being.- effectedV by disturfirigjiniiuences. It will be understood, of course-,' tliat' the electricallyoperated 'device bei constructed torespond to `the changes" in the track-1.circuit.lv *111 lieuffiffadiustins-Q 'ondaryo'i-g the transformer. the ratio of theilallsformerinay be *pii'm'ary'-Windi.ng,jl'forf the reasoii that vif" a given -voltage, be impressed onfa lprtion offro 5 `the -turnsfof the primary of a transformer ai higher volta'gewvi l be givenolf the'sef :ciilia-ry` than when a'like-voltageis iinpi'es theturnsiof.thejprimary; carryingout'f this c'onstru'ction the.- contact-{datesA a n'd 1ro' lllffarc` so 'comiectedtothe primarv transformer that-'When the c ed a ortion of the primaryis Aci 1t f'n1t ce a 'gher voltage `Willbc1v given. the secondary ofthetransformer onto-.the tra circuit 2,' thereby ca'lsingboth-signal 4 '.to Clear-* This-@Hellsehen isilIust'rated; -in l Eig. 4,. .,/Whlif l -tgf fdange r, theV movable enact-:wim ne .11eandvQ1-age-- il. pressed on a l the -turnS. Jo f-. thametri S0@ that only sufficientvoltagel e give 1" oil' the secondary of the trans9r1ner-. toeiiect or permit of-'tlie movement inf-the distant si'g'na'l ft'o'ffcautionf i fIn lieu of employing.- two relays fortentrolling, the circuits nf thesignals 4Qand- J5 a 'single mechanism operating. on, the shiftingfield principi.e 'Indy 'begelnplcyel Suc a not be used, as the included portion of the V Icov rial and cmistituting' an ar1nature,

closing and opening the circuits of the niotors oi' signals 4 and 5.

' tmftsl in gersv 30 all the -functions olt the two 'relays in Fig. 1. This mechanism, (Un-uislating devicc,) or, as 4l vshall hen inaluf'r term it, relay, has a core 24, iorn'ied ol lamina-.tml iron, and a. coil 25, which is (miner-ted to the. continuous rail l and thc sectional rail ollv a block-section. The core and coil constitutes a lield. The poles or ends oi' the cores are slotted to form 'lingers 3G and 27, and one 'ot the iingcrs, as 2o, oleach pole is surrounded by a closedA circuit 125. A dish 29, formed oi" electric oonducting and preferably'non-magnetic mateas I shall hereinafter tern-1 it, is pivot-ally .mounted in operative relation to the core, so as to move freely between the poles, and is adapted to' be shifted in one direction' by .electric energy and inv the opposite direction by any suitable power, as gravity. Movable conand 31 areconnected to the armature so as to be shifted into andV out of contact with the plates and thereby The armature 29 has l a portion adjacent to thc'poljes ofthe core cutl away, so as to reduce l the areaaii'ecte'd by the currents from the 'track-circuit'.

" the track-circuit flowing YVhen the circuit of blockscction l is short-'circuited by the presence of a train, so that no alternating current from theftracli will pass through-the iield oi the -reday, the armature will drop against a 'stop 34, thereby shifting contact with the platos 32 and 33.

the vlingers 30`and 3l out of Assoon as a train enters bloelescction 3 and the sig nal/1:t goes to danger7 the movable niember 1K1?. of the switch device Will be brought into contact with the plate '11, so that vol- .tages Will be impresse upon'all the turns .of

vthe 1primary of the transiorlnervAand relative y loT voltages Will'be given off as a cons sequence thereof from the secoi'idaryr of said transformer. By reason of thevoltages in through the held a shifting magnetic field will beestablished,

due to the electric and magnetic effect of the closed circuits 28 on sections or fingers of the poles of the core, By reason of this shifting field the armature will be raised an amount suilicient to bring the offset due tothe cutting away of a ortion of the disk to'thelower edge of the po e-piece's. movement will not be' produced by reason of vthe reduced effective arca` of the diskbetween the pole-pieces. When the train passes oil'I of section 3 and the signale goes to clear,. the movable member 12 of the switch will be shifted into contact-with the plate 10%, thereby cutting outl a portion of the primary. of the trar'isform'er A, so that increased' voltages will be givenV oil ofthe. secondary of f -t-he tra11s`for1ner 'an.d transmitted `along the track-circuit"tothe field ofthe relay, causing 4 the armature 29 to have additional movement against the stopl35.` AlVhen the arma- 'sponsive' to ana rent supply,

-dir'ect currenteectively operating the transturc is in intermediate position, as above clescribed, the linger 30 will contact with the plate S3, closing the circuit through signal'4 of block-section 2; but .when the armature is raised tofull position, as above stated, due to lthe clearing of signal 4, finger 31 will contact with its plate 33 and close the circuit of signal 5, thereby causing such signal togo to clear position. f

While I have described with some particularity a speciiic form of apparatus for select# ing the characteristic of current to .-be used for operating the particular signahthe inveni tion as regards the terms of the broad claims is notlimited to any particular method of or apparatus used to. accomplish the selection on account of the great number of forms and arrangements Which such apparatusl may assume. It is obvious yirom the -oregoing that an almost endless variety of arrangements ofa'p- .paratus Which is operated selectively, due to varlations in the voltage, frequency; and

Within theknovy'ledge of' one skilled in the art to readily speciiyone for the other.

'Under' the term signalicontrolling mechanism is included not only a construction vvherein the electrically-operated devices of the;` signal mechanism are directly' in the track-circuit, but also 4a construction wherein the electrically-operated devices. are in indeend-ent c1rcu1ts,'which are controlled by rea-ys or other mechanisms included in the track-circuit;

Having thus described my invention; What l c1airnis 1. The combination with a trackfc'ircuitfor signaling rent supply t erefor, a translatingdevice responsive to alternating current in saidcircuit and unresponsive to a modification of the alternating current and means for modifying the alternating current'. v y

2. The combination with a track-circuit 5 for signaling purposes, of a source of alternating-current' sup ternating current in said circuit and unresponsive to a modication of the alternating current,- and'mea-ns for modifying the 4alternating current'.

orsignaling purposes, of an alternating-cura translating' device responsive tothe alternating current in said circuit and unresponsive to a modification of the-alten' Dating current, means for'modifying the' al.- ternating current, and means for preventing lating device.'

4. A signaling s s'temhavingin combina tiona series of trac l a trackfcirc'uit, an alternatinU-current supplyforeach trackcircuit, a tranlating device for v .each track-circuit, signals for the track-sec-l purposes,l ofian alternating-cur-` I phase relation, Vcan be employed, and it is LCO ly, a translating device re- 3'. The combinatlon W1tn a track-circuit4 -sections each comprising fro ; 65 natijng 'cnrre'ntfor each source of alternating current and la translating device which .1s responslve to .the usual alternating current of the track-circuit to."

control one operation of both a homeand distant signal and responsiveonly-to control the home signal 'when theusual alternatin curv:rent of, the .track-,circuit is changed, algrome and distantsignal for each track section,`

landineans operated by a home signal when 1s alternating current 1n the 'trackcircuit controlling its distant signal, whereby the transl lating of that trac-kcircuit willl unresponsive to control the distant signal. v'

l'2Q 6. Ina signaling system, the combination of a series of track-sections each comprising a track-c1rcuit, a source .of .alternatmgcurrenti for each.trackc1rcuit, a home signal and-'operating' mechanismffor one tr'acli-sifictijon,:f a`

ingA device of that track-circuit responsive."v

" `o` erating mechanism for one track-section, a

distant 'signal and operating mechanism at a receding track+section,f a translating device 1n each trackfcircuit for ,controlling v theo r 'and niiIlS Operated fromthe home signal for 45 translating device-offthat track-circuit. re-

s onsive andunresponsive vthereto to control tiie-ho-meand distant signals.l

48.` In a signaling system, f the .combination of a series of track-.sections each comprising f a track-circuit, a source, -of alternating current for each track-circuina home signal and operating mechanism'for one trackfsection, a' dis,-

' tantsignal-and operating mechanism for the'. home/signal vat4 a preceding track-sectiQn, iai translating 'device *in each trackecircuit ,for

y controlling the operationof each signaloperf; ating'qme'chanisrn, and lmeans in each t rackf ofa translatingdevice by an5r directcurrent 9:"In a'railv'vay si aling system, the com-- hination; 'of a series of trackfsect'ions ,each

moving to its danger position for-changing ,the

'bination Ofi a 'series of trac distant signal 'and' operating mechanism at a v i g Syste-m', 'the Combination ofv a, sries of tracksectmns wh Compnsmg it. tra'kfl'lclllltfa,Source Ofalternatlng Gurrent for'each'track-circuit, a'home signaland' res onsive to: thealternating current for 'eo changing the' alternatingcurrent inthe track?- circuit of the-distant signal to render the'- circuit for preventing the'eliective operation :ein,hsracmnstiefonsstma mja recede-.13s.

and distant signal located at the entrance of each track-section and each signal provided with an operating mechanism, a-translating device ineach track-circuit"forv conftrollingfy circuits for 'the operating'- mechanisms ofthe 77o signals, saidtranslating device lbeing'respo'nsive in its action to the alternating current inthe track-circuit to control `thecircuits tot both operating mechanisms-and responsive to a change in the alternatingcurrent in the@ 7 5 of the' operating mechanisms, and means for l changing the alternating current in 'thetrack-circuit. f l 10. Ina railvva')T signaling sistem, the com- 8o --sections each comprising a y.track-circint, a so'urc'ofalterel z nating-currentffor each track-'circui't ahome ,and distant signal located-at .the entrance of ieach Itrack-section, and each signal provided 8 5 f i with an operating mechanism, a translating device in? each'track-.circuit for controlling circuits forthe operating mechanisms of y the signals, said translating device being-'respon- 'siv'e inits action to the alternating currentin '9o zthev trackfci'rcit' to control. the circuits of -bothopferating mechanisms and responsive to a\,chan e; in thexalternating current inthe tracka-'circuitto control the circuits of but one of the l'operating 'mechanisms, and means '95- operated :byahomesignal of one track-se c.' :A v 'tion' for changingthe alternating current in 'a precedingitrackfcircuit. L

with a. home sign-alf,- a track-circuit including lg o o? current i"rpml said source forojntrolling the distant;signal, ar'i,d 1 ne'ans under :the controlchanging' :the i alternating current in t,h e

trackcirciit for ,the distant signal to which 'i 1o change-.in currentthe relay ,isfnot .1 -'QS Qnsivei f 12 :In ts'ignalingsysfem; the com inatin', i

' `Withl ahomesignal, 'a Itrack'circuit including a sourceof-alternating an,l .a relay res onsive to thealternating currentifor con- 1 1 5 .tro i-ngthe home signal; a distant Asignal fori vthe home signal, a .trackfcirlcit including source, of current and a -re lay.,. responsi.ve 4to the ,currentfrorn' said soll'cior controllingr A theJ-dis'tantsignal, ,and means under the co1i- 1 zo vtrol offthe;trackcirei1it for lthe home''signaly for efecting the source .of current in. the cir-` Lcuit forthe distant signal N vherebvl its relay will or, will vnotrespondtocontrol tliedistant f ,1 Theeombinationyvitlr a 'i :.failli'ray-Sigills hosted@lebende-awww# track,- a P'rlats'for contrellinsthejsald Slgvariation to control one signal and also controllable by electric current to perform another operation, und means lor ]iroducing the current ol periodic characteristic and. thc current 'tor eii'ecting the second operation, such apparatus being controllable by the currei'it-producing means through suitable cur-V rent-transinitting n'ieans including a con-f` ductorconnnon to the current ol periodic characteristic and thel eurrentifor eilecting f the second operation.

lt. ln a bloclr-signal'systeni, the eoinliination with track-circuit sections and signals for said sections 5 of a sourire ol` energy connected at, one end oil each ol. sind sections; a relay connected to the other end ot each oi' said sections, comprising a stationary' iield and-'a rotating armature capable ot three y functional positions; means for controlling the functional,positions of said armature; and lineans for Ynia-kingsaid signals give .indications corresponding to the said three positions of said armature.

15. ln a block-signal system the combination with Vtrack-circuit sections and. signals for said sections; of' a source of energy connected at one end of each of said sections a relay connected at the other end of each of said sections, comprising a stationary iield and a rotating arniature capable oi three functional positions; means for controlling the functional 'positions ofl said armature; means for controlling one of said signals hy one of said functional positions of said arniature 5 and means for controlling two of said signals another funct ionalposition of said armature.

16. In a block-signal system, the combination with track-circuit sections and signals for said sections, of a source 'of energy connected to one end o-eaoh of said sections, a 'relay connected at the other end of each of said sections comprising a stationary field and a rotating armature capable of' three functional positions, means for controlling said l"ui|ctioiial positions of' said armature, 'l means lor operatingone of said signals to the proceed position by one oiE said functional i positions ot said arniat-uri\, ineans for operw l ating two ol' said signals to the proceed position hy another functional position of 'said armature and nieans ior operatingr both of said signals to the st-op position by the third functional position o'l said armature.

17. lna signaling system for railways, the eonilii nation with block-sections, a'ho'nie and distant-signal for each bloeit-section, a source ot' alternating current and. a relay for cach block-section, said relay coinprising a iield `and anarinature having three functional -positions, each oi" which positions effects a' control of one or hoth of the railwaysignals.

1S. ln a signalin@ systein for railways', tho g combination with block-sections, a lioine and distant signal for each block-section, a source V of alternating current and a relay i'or each block-section, the relay comprising a iield and an armature capable ot three positions in each oi' which positions a control of one or hotli of the signals is effect-ed, and means controlled hy a herne signal for producing` changes in the alternating current to cause the armature to assunie two of its three positions.v

19. The combination with a relay for controlling a plurality of signals comprising a plurality ot hinctional positions in each oi' l i l i i l i field and an armature, the lat-ter having a l i g changing a characteristic thereof'.

In testimony whereof ll have hereunto set my hand.

JACOB B. STRUBLE. Vlitnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLcor'r, F.. E. GAiTr-Inn.

i i l 

